The popular kids snack Lunchables contains relatively high levels of lead and sodium, a consumer watchdog group warned Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consumer Reports (CR), a consumer advocacy group, said it tested<\/u><\/a> 12 store-bought versions of Lunchables \u2014 which are made by Kraft Heinz \u2014 along with similar lunch and snack kits and found \u201crelatively high levels of lead and cadmium\u201d in the Lunchables kits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cadmium is a chemical element linked to negative effects on the kidney and the skeletal and respiratory systems and is classified as a human carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is not a safe level<\/u><\/a> of lead for children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sodium levels in the kits ranged from 460 to 740 milligrams per serving, nearly a quarter to half of a child\u2019s daily recommended limit for sodium, CR said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All but one of the kits contained harmful phthalates \u2014 chemicals found in plastic that can be linked to reproductive issues, diabetes and some cancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When testing the Lunchables kits distributed by schools<\/u><\/a> under the National School Lunch Program, CR found the sodium levels in these kits, which have larger portions of meat, are higher than the store-bought versions. The school version of the turkey and cheddar lunch had 930 milligrams of sodium, while the Lunchables pizza kit for schools had 700 milligrams of sodium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A spokesperson for Kraft Heinz said Lunchables products provide a \u201cgood source of protein\u201d and offer nutrients through meat and cheeses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve taken great steps to improve the nutrition profile of Lunchables,\u201d the spokesperson said, pointing to the reduction of sodium in the crackers by 26 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll our foods meet strict safety standards that we happily feed to our own families. We are proud of Lunchables and stand by the quality and integrity that goes into making them,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n